Latent Labs, founded by an AlphaFold expert from DeepMind, focuses on creating innovative proteins
AlphaFold has significantly changed how we understand protein structures within the biotechnology industry, highlighting the important role of artificial intelligence (AI) in biological research. Alongside this development, a new company called Latent Labs, which operates out of London and San Francisco, has recently emerged from a period of secrecy, securing a total of $50 million in funding. The company’s mission is to create synthetic proteins that can be customized to solve specific scientific problems.
The funding includes a substantial $40 million Series A round, co-led by Radical Ventures and Sofinnova Partners, along with participation from other investors such as Flying Fish, Isomer, and returning backers like 8VC, Kindred Capital, and Pillar VC. Some notable angel investors backing Latent Labs include Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, Cohere founder Aidan Gomez, and ElevenLabs founder Mati Staniszewski.
This financial support will empower Latent Labs to build AI-driven research platforms aimed at enabling scientists to computationally identify and design new proteins. This approach holds the promise of developing a new class of drugs that are more likely to succeed in clinical trials and gain regulatory approval.
From the AlphaFold Team to Latent Labs
Latent Labs was established in 2023 by Dr. Simon Kohl, who previously co-led DeepMind’s protein design team and worked on AlphaFold2, a project that contributed to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper. With Latent Labs, Kohl aims to push generative techniques to create proteins from the ground up.
The founding team comprises leading AI experts, many of whom come from Google DeepMind, dedicated to making biological processes programmable. By leveraging advanced generative AI models for protein design, the team plans to assist biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in speeding up drug discovery, cutting treatment costs, and enhancing precision medicine. They are attracting top talent from various esteemed organizations, including DeepMind, Microsoft, Stability AI, and more.
Latent Labs aspires to lead the field of AI in biological research, addressing a significant need in the pharmaceutical industry, which invests $300 billion annually in research and development. The company’s announcement comes as venture capital interest in Europe’s life sciences sector grows, with investments already surpassing €1.2 billion this year.
Behind the Platform: AI-Driven Molecular Engineering
Latent Labs has developed a platform that enables researchers to design therapeutic molecules like antibodies and enzymes through computational methods. This capability allows partners to tackle complex biological targets and explore innovative avenues in personalized medicine. The platform lets collaborators create proteins with enhanced qualities, such as better stability or affinity, thereby streamlining drug development processes and increasing the likelihood of success.
According to Simon Kohl, CEO and founder of Latent Labs, “Every biotechnology or pharmaceutical company wants to find the most effective therapeutic molecules, but not everyone can develop sophisticated AI models. That’s where we come in. We drive advancements in generative biology, providing our partners with immediate access to tools that can enhance their drug design initiatives.”
The global market for biologics is predicted to reach approximately $1.37 trillion by the year 2033. Latent Labs offers a distinctive approach by forming project-based partnerships, which contrasts with many competitors who often engage in single, multi-million dollar contracts with large enterprises. This tactic from Latent Labs allows a larger number of organizations to access programmable biology while remaining scalable and sustainable.
Transforming the Pharma Industry
Innovations from Latent Labs are set to revolutionize various sectors that depend on biological processes, particularly the pharmaceutical industry, by expediting the identification, selection, and evaluation of proteins.
Aaron Rosenberg, a partner at Radical Ventures and a former member of DeepMind, expressed his confidence in Latent Labs, stating that they are dedicated to realizing the therapeutic and commercial potential of de novo protein design, which could have profound benefits for humanity. As Latent Labs spearheads innovation in computational biology, investors are enthusiastic to be a part of this transformative journey.
Edward Kliphuis, a partner at Sofinnova Partners, noted that Latent Labs is redefining biology from merely being an observational science into an engineering discipline, enabling precise control over the building blocks of life. This development allows for the creation of custom molecules that can tackle challenges previously deemed insurmountable. As pharmaceutical companies increasingly seek advanced tools for quicker discovery and improved patient outcomes, Latent Labs is well-positioned to respond to this growing need.
